Chapter 7

"B-but..." he looked down. "We can at least try..." he said in an attempt to keep her there.

Crimson stared at the ground. "I'm not staying forever." she finally said. "My bike needs to be fixed up. If I can find tools for that and get it done... I'm leaving."

Saben stared at the ground. "I don't want to be alone again..." he said quietly.

"You have the girl." Crimson replied.

Saben was silent for awhile. "But..." he began.

"But nothing." Crimson replied. "If you show her... she could become a fighter."

"Shouldn't humans stick together?" he asked.

Crimson laughed. "Yeah. But since when have humans ever 'stuck' together?"

"Well, never." he replied. "But the world is never going to come back if we don't. Besides, working together has always proven useful."

"Like when I got stabbed in the arm?" Crimson said. "Like when I got landed on?"

"But..." his voice faltered. He was failing.

"But what? Is there really any reason for me to stay besides to protect you and," she looked at Koralie, "that!"

"You don't have to protect us." he said.

"Obviously I do." Crimson replied before storming off.

"I told you." Koralie said to him when she'd gone.

Saben shook his head and ran after her. "Wait." he called.

Crimson hesitated before stopping. She didn't turn around.

"Please stay. I-I don't want to be abandoned again. Especially not by you." he said slowly.
"You're the first person who hasn't used me for supplies, o-or tried to run me over, or thrown me out of a moving car."

Crimson had a weird expression on her face. "A moving car?" she shook her head. "N-no I can't stay."

"Why not?" he asked.

"Saben, do you know how long the zombie process takes?" Crimson asked.

"N-no. Why do you ask that?" he asked.

Crimson froze. "No reason." she replied.

"There is a reason. Tell me." he pleaded.

Crimson shook her head. "No. I just wanted to know. But I guess it all results in how badly the bite is."

"How bady the bite is?" he looked at her with concerned eyes but looked down. "O-okay."